we crossed the little stream of Ebwith, near the park of Tridegar House,
belonging to Sir Charles Morgan. The grounds are well planned, and
command the hills of Machan and Tombalœ, with the church of Passaness
rising in the centre, on an eminence. The whole valley, indeed, is
prettily situated. Passing through the villages of Pediston and
Castletown, we soon reached the bridge of two arches, over the river
Romney, which divides England from Wales.
The situation of Cardiff is on a low flat, near the mouth of the Taafe,
over which has lately been thrown a new Bridge, built by Mr. Parry in
1796: it consists of three large and two smaller arches. The tower of
the church is very light, and of elegant workmanship; but nothing in the
inside is worthy of inspection.
The Castle derives its name from the river Taff, which washes its walls;
_Caertaph_ signifying the Town or Castle upon Taff. Robert Fitzham
having conquered Glamorganshire, divided the country into different
portions, among the twelve Norman Knights, as a reward for their service,
and took for his own share the Town of Cardiff; and erected, in the year
1110, this Castle, in which he generally resided, and held his court of
chancery and exchequer. In the beginning of May 1645, during the
troubles under Charles I. it was in the possession of the Royalists, but
it was surrendered to Parliament before August 1646.
We entered the Castle by two strong gates, which still remain in great
preservation, but we were disgusted with the modern architecture of the
new-built mansion, erected by the late Marquis of Bute: the neat shorn
grass, the gravel walk, were circumstances that ill accorded with the
mutilated walls of an ancient ruin, which has braved the storms of so
many centuries. The circumstance that tends to render this Castle a
melancholy place in history, is the unjust confinement of Robert Duke of
Normandy, brother to William Rufus and Henry I. The accounts, however,
of his confinement have been greatly exaggerated by historians; and a
dark vaulted room, beneath the level of the ground, measuring nearly a
square of fifteen feet and a half, is still pointed out as the place of
his confinement; a small crevice in the top, about half a yard in length,
and three inches wide, was the only place to admit the air. He was
buried in Gloucester Cathedral, where his effigy as big as life, carved
in Irish oak, and painted, is yet shewn. The Keep, which is still very
perfect, of an octagon shape, stands on an eminence in the centre of a
large square. Having walked round the ramparts, which command extensive
views of the adjacent country, we visited the Castle itself, which has,
within these few years, been repaired, but still remains in an unfinished
state. In the Dining-room are some portraits, in length, of the Windsor
family: the most striking are,
1st. Sir William, who first raised forces for Queen Mary.
2d. Sir Edward, who first entered the breach at the taking of St.
Quintin, in Flanders, where the famous Constable de Montmorency was taken
prisoner.
In the Breakfast-parlour is a family piece, consisting of seven figures:
it was painted in the year 1568. Holbein, I rather imagine, was the
painter: it consists of two Sisters playing at Cards, and two Brothers at
Drafts, with Edward Earl of Windsor and his lady looking on. The style
is stiff, with ruffs, small black caps and feathers.
Andrew Windsor, to the right of the fire-place; _Kneller_.
general in the reign of Queen Ann, serving in
the 28th regiment of foot
Thomas Windsor, to the left, who served in _Kneller_.
several wars of William and Queen Ann, and was
Colonel of the 3d regiment of Dragoon Guards,
in the reign of George I.
Lady Ursula Windsor _ibid_.
Hon. Matter Windsor _Painter unknown_.
A good painting of Ursula Countess of Windsor, _Kneller_.
with her grand-daughter Ursula Windsor
Thomas Lord Windsor, Governor of Jamaica _Vandyke_.
Hon. Charlotta Windsor _Dahl_.
Hon. Ursula Windsor _Dahl_.
Hon. Dixia Windsor, storekeeper of the
ordnance, and for six successive parliaments
member for Cambridge.
This Castle belongs to a grandson of the Marquis of Bute.
In this place, Robert Earl of Gloucester founded a Priory of
White-friars, and another of Black, which continued till the reign of
Henry VIII. Only the shell of the White-friars is now extant, and the
ruins of the Black-friars are inhabited by fishermen.